Wired Drug Writer Has His Own Drug Expertise

Remember that Wiredarticle about the various pluses and minuses of drug use that got the Times' panties all in a bunch about whether it would actually "promote drugs?" It was a stupid controversy over a relatively innocuous drug story. The Wired piece didn't deserve criticism for its content, but it might have been served by some disclosure; the author of it, Mathew Honan, is a reformed cokehead. That fact didn't appear in Wired, but on Honan's own blog:

In a lengthy post this month dedicated to chewing out the Times for its criticism of him, Honan writes:

Why, this may shock you, but here's the thing: Cocaine is exceptionally fun. LSD? It genuinely alters your perception. I'm not suggesting that you do either of these. Both conspired, unsuccessfully, to kill me and I would no more try either today than I would attempt to put a rattlesnake in my anus. I am older and wiser and recognize that the benefits are not worth the risks. Despite my swinging-dick persona on Twitter, I'm more this guy than that guy. Drugs, especially highly addictive ones like speed or cocaine or heroin or ones with powerful psychological components like LSD, tend to not be worth the price you pay for their use.

We agree! But since the Wired article was all about stimulating brain drugs, the writer's own history might have been worth a mention—particularly after it turned into a controversy, because it serves to strengthen his case against the Times' criticisms, not weaken it. We're on your side, Mat!

And what exactly does a "swinging-dick persona on Twitter" talk about?